Ice, found by NASA on Mercury.

[Shiny212]

In our broken economy, people are really suggesting NASA needs more funding? Few things are a bigger waste of time, finances and resources, IMO.

I hope NASA remembers those who helped them so that they'll leave you behind when they start sending commercial spaceships to our new colonies.

[Elegiac]

In our broken economy, people are really suggesting NASA needs more funding? Few things are a bigger waste of time, finances and resources, IMO.

NASA has historically had an 8 dollar for every 1 dollar return ratio because of the contracting they do in their work and the patents and innovations generated from their research. So, false. It is both a wise economic investment and critical for the long-term survival of humanity let along the United States.

[nnelson54]

In our broken economy, people are really suggesting NASA needs more funding? Few things are a bigger waste of time, finances and resources, IMO.

"All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." - Douglas Adams

[RüneRS]

I know this is a bit off topic but I'l say it anyway.
The problem I have with 'life came to earth on an asteroid' is this: Where the hell did the asteroid got its lifeforms from?

[Elegiac]

I know this is a bit off topic but I'l say it anyway.
The problem I have with 'life came to earth on an asteroid' is this: Where the hell did the asteroid got its lifeforms from?

Abiogenesis. Organic molecules are perfectly capable of forming by themselves.

[goombatommy]

Abiogenesis. Organic molecules are perfectly capable of forming by themselves.

That or by some, some miracle the asteroid was part of a more...larger scheme. Perhaps another planet that was destroyed whether it be by another planet collision, or another large asteroid/meteorite collided breaking off a good chunk hurling it into space and over the course of millions of years - somehow managed to curve its way into our solar system, colliding with Earth and voila.

Or - you can go to such more extremes as in we could all be part of an experiment by other aliens and they rigged an asteroid with biological compound needed to start life on a planet.

Sorry, kinda wandered off for a sec there..lol

[Theodon]

I know this is a bit off topic but I'l say it anyway.
The problem I have with 'life came to earth on an asteroid' is this: Where the hell did the asteroid got its lifeforms from?

I would say your problem is "How did life start in the universe?" The asteroid might be the remnant of a planet that had life and was destroyed by a large impact, or one that was part of a mantle blasted off in to space by some massive volcanic eruption, or some other, equally spectacular and energetic event in the universe. The universe is old as hell and our little solar system is really young by comparison, so all of this probably happened many times before in other places before it happened to our little planet.

In the end though you reach a point where you can't even guess what came before.

[nnelson54]

I know this is a bit off topic but I'l say it anyway.
The problem I have with 'life came to earth on an asteroid' is this: Where the hell did the asteroid got its lifeforms from?

As with most things in life, Neil Degrasse Tyson explains it better than most people could.

(it takes about 50 seconds for it to get going)

[Elegiac]

As with most things in life, Neil Degrasse Tyson explains it better than most people could.

(it takes about 50 seconds for it to get going)

We need to splice together Richard Dawkins, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Carl Sagan, and Morgan Freeman together to make the ultimate science narrator.

[Morae]

It is a possibility, but I still think life formed on earth. It has actually been tested that when they put together materials, correct temperature, ect. that supposedly were present at earth back when there was no life yet and left it in laboratory it actually produced some basic forms that could in a long period of time become simple living stuff. With "long period of time" I probably mean "ridiculously long time", but still.

I find that explanation more probable than just by mere nearly nonexistent chance somewhere somehow organic material was blasted into space where it traveled probably millions of years. Then somehow it happened to land on a planet with conditions that actually made it possible for those organic materials to become simple living cells.

The fact that we can find organic stuff on our solar system is probably because of earth. It is more likely that volcanic activity has been blasting organic material into space ever since life appeared on earth. With other planets relatively close earth it would have much greater chance of happening.

[fizzbob]

Nice to find but really who cares? Is it really worth funding on a place we know is usless to us. Until we have a way to travel to these places is there any real point? Science is fun and all and i have no problem with private funding for stuff lkke this but ill bet is a waste of some governments funding.

the pinnacle of technology is the space program. it trickles down to the military and then 3 decades later, trickles down to the general public. that's why it's worth it and finding NEW shit in space that is in our solar system makes it all seem more worth it to the people who matter

---------- Post added 2012-11-30 at 08:38 AM ----------

It is a possibility, but I still think life formed on earth. It has actually been tested that when they put together materials, correct temperature, ect. that supposedly were present at earth back when there was no life yet and left it in laboratory it actually produced some basic forms that could in a long period of time become simple living stuff. With "long period of time" I probably mean "ridiculously long time", but still.

I find that explanation more probable than just by mere nearly nonexistent chance somewhere somehow organic material was blasted into space where it traveled probably millions of years. Then somehow it happened to land on a planet with conditions that actually made it possible for those organic materials to become simple living cells.

The fact that we can find organic stuff on our solar system is probably because of earth. It is more likely that volcanic activity has been blasting organic material into space ever since life appeared on earth. With other planets relatively close earth it would have much greater chance of happening.

to me it was saying "it's possible that life can travel to a barren planet via meteor and under the correct conditions spawn an earth"

it's basically adding credence to "we are not alone" based on sheer math

---------- Post added 2012-11-30 at 08:44 AM ----------

As with most things in life, Neil Degrasse Tyson explains it better than most people could.

(it takes about 50 seconds for it to get going)

i liked that

[nnelson54]

It is a possibility, but I still think life formed on earth. It has actually been tested that when they put together materials, correct temperature, ect. that supposedly were present at earth back when there was no life yet and left it in laboratory it actually produced some basic forms that could in a long period of time become simple living stuff. With "long period of time" I probably mean "ridiculously long time", but still.

I find that explanation more probable than just by mere nearly nonexistent chance somewhere somehow organic material was blasted into space where it traveled probably millions of years. Then somehow it happened to land on a planet with conditions that actually made it possible for those organic materials to become simple living cells.

The fact that we can find organic stuff on our solar system is probably because of earth. It is more likely that volcanic activity has been blasting organic material into space ever since life appeared on earth. With other planets relatively close earth it would have much greater chance of happening.

None of what you just said makes any bit of sense in a scientific manner. I mean, maybe you misread something or are remembering something else but scientists have never put a bunch of materials together in a lab and created life. That would change the world. There was a geneticist a couple years ago that chemically created a self replicating DNA cell, but that's hardly the same thing(although still a huge break through in genetics). And the whole "stars blow up, spreading element enriched atoms through the cosmos, create new stars, repeat process" thing has been observed. It's scientific fact that these elements are found all throughout the universe. What you're suggesting is akin to the old belief that the Earth was the center of the solar system and everything revolved around us.

[Deleted]

who cares about mercury?
who cares about mars?

is that where our money go to? finding ice deep in a hole on planets long confirmed dead? with no magnetic shield that blew away thier atmosphere long ago and so there is no water or oxigen?

better put this money into the right direction of finding us another planet and advance our space travel technolagy.

the moon is drifting away from us , without it , we are facing real harsh future if any...our magnetic shield has a hole in it..without it our fate will be like mars..

stop wasting time and money building probes and sending them to look for ice in our system...its pointless

We care about Mercuty and Mars and Jupiter and Pluto and Alpha Centauri because they can help us understand how other planets might look and how we could colonise those. We care there's ice on Mercury because it extends the Goldylocks zone, which is the area in which life can appear as related to a star. If there's ice on Mercury, that zone is extended. Since ice - water - one of the basic elements of life.

And our magnetic shield has two holes in it actually, and that's because we pollute our planet to extreme.

the moon drifting away form us, if i remember correctly, would only result in different tidal waters

and as i live in the country that is under the ozone layer i can tell you, the only thing that you have to do to counter it is wear more sunblock...

"whos cares about mars?"
"who cares about mercury?"
as Brann Bronzebeard would say "Inquiring minds just got to know!"

Depends how much it drifts away. If we lose it for good, it would mean that Earth will have a more strange rotation and even the axis would change. This would make a lot of the parts of the world unsuitable for growing any kind of plants... and we'd starve.

And the second argument, no offense, but that's really stupid. If the hole in the ozone lair widens, Earth loses more athmosphere. If it loses enough... then it will start also losing things like... air. Plus, the UV rays that would pass through these holes would kind of give you skin cancer. For real. But you can wear sun screen lol yea... That said, you'd also have to rub the plants you eat with sunscreen, otherwise they'll get burned, and you won't have what to eat anymore.

In our broken economy, people are really suggesting NASA needs more funding? Few things are a bigger waste of time, finances and resources, IMO.

You're right, you should give that funding to the military instead, right? Maybe they'll find you resources you can use in 100 years when Earth starts to run try *sarcasm*

[Morae]

None of what you just said makes any bit of sense in a scientific manner. I mean, maybe you misread something or are remembering something else but scientists have never put a bunch of materials together in a lab and created life. That would change the world. There was a geneticist a couple years ago that chemically created a self replicating DNA cell, but that's hardly the same thing(although still a huge break through in genetics). And the whole "stars blow up, spreading element enriched atoms through the cosmos, create new stars, repeat process" thing has been observed. It's scientific fact that these elements are found all throughout the universe. What you're suggesting is akin to the old belief that the Earth was the center of the solar system and everything revolved around us.

You misunderstand me. I never said anyone created life. What they got was chemical forms than COULD in a long period of time from into stuff like dna and or simple living cells. Note that this "in a long period of time" like I said in previous post is probably quite damn long time.

Stars exploding and spreading material into space only the meaning that they produced all the required atoms that later form up into chemical components that make up living stuff. Correct me in this, since of this I'm not sure. I just find it unlikely that when star burns whatever they have around them when they die or explode as supernova could leave anything organic behind...only stuff that might form up into organic stuff later.

This dust may bunch up into new stars and planets. In a case of planets giving chance of those basic materials in correct temperatures to start reacting chemically and producing organic stuff.

I'm just talking about the same thing some already talk about here. Abiogenesis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiogenesis

[Pony Soldier]

Didn't they also find microbial life too or something? I just read this last night was pretty shocked.

[Deleted]

Weird... if true this will change everything. I thought mercury was too close to the Sun to have any ice of any kind.

Mercury is OP.

Next patch will get a 20% nerf on Frost damage.

[Woebegone]

Hmh. Is colonization of other planets really something anyone is even considering?

I thought most of this work was done to get further proof or disprove some of the theories we have regarding planets and stuff. Not to.. study extraterrestrial colonization possibilities.

Not saying it isn't valuable work though.

[RüneRS]

Abiogenesis. Organic molecules are perfectly capable of forming by themselves.

Indeed, why isn't it accepted(By believers of the asteroid theory) that life formed on earth? Since it is the best place to harnass life

I don't say its impossible, but I think its more believable that life developed on earth rather then being crashlanded at a million miles an hour into a cold, unforgiving world after travelling a gazillion kilometers trough an empty void with a temperature of 0 °K?

[Deadvolcanoes]

We already knew that Mercury had ice on it though...

There is water/ice throughout our entire solar system, all the way out to the Oort Cloud. Pluto is made of mostly ice.

Here is a neat tool to see where the water is in our solar system:

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/review/i-...-ice/game.html

[RüneRS]

Didn't they also find microbial life too or something? I just read this last night was pretty shocked.

To find microbial life they would have to land on Mercury, wich would be insanity, since it must be one of the most unforgiving places in the solar system (apart from Venus and the gas-gaints)

As with most things in life, Neil Degrasse Tyson explains it better than most people could.

(it takes about 50 seconds for it to get going)

Very nice link, he explained something I already knew in a clear way. Even learned new things, but if you looked at my previous post it still doesn't explain why life wouldn't have formed on earth but on a rock in the massive void of the universe (well basicly we are on a rock in the universe, but you know what I mean)